Europe

30 May 2020; MEMO: Russian President Vladimir Putin instructed on Friday two ministries to hold talks on getting additional property in Syria, Anadolu Agency reports.

30 May 2020; MEMO: Over 10,000 refugees in Greece that have been granted asylum now face eviction from accommodation facilities where they are currently staying, Anadolu Agency reports.

The country’s Ministry of Migration Policy plans to replace these refugees with asylum seekers on Aegean islands in an attempt to decongest camps there.

These facilities are intended to accommodate asylum-seekers whose applications are still being processed.

MOSCOW, May 30 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Russia reported a record increase of 232 coronavirus deaths on Friday as Moscow authorities released mortality figures to dispel allegations they were being manipulated.

Health officials reported a total of 4,374 deaths and 387,623 cases, the third-highest number of infections in the world after the United States and Brazil.

New infections were below 9,000 for the sixth day in a row at 8,572 cases, while a total of 159,257 people have recovered, according to an official tally.

ATHENS, May 30 (NNN-AGENCIES) —Greece is to open up to tourists from 29 countries in two weeks – but not those travelling from the world’s worst-affected countries including the UK.

Tourists from EU countries including Germany, Austria, Denmark and Finland will be able to visit from June 15, the tourism ministry said in a statement.

But some of the world’s worst-affected countries – including the UK, France, Italy and Spain – are not on the list.

More countries could be added before July 1, the ministry added.

ATHENS, May 29 (Xinhua) -- After the initial shock of the COVID-19 pandemic, China reiterated during the just-concluded "Two Sessions" its determination to further increase trade and investment ties with countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Greek officials, experts and entrepreneurs told Xinhua here in recent interviews that Greece-China cooperation under the BRI will undoubtedly progress with strong momentum to the benefit of both sides.

MOSCOW, May 29. /TASS/: The ceasefire in Libya, declared in January 2020, failed completely, and prolongation of the crisis threatens catastrophic consequences to the country, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Friday.

MOSCOW, May 29. /TASS/: The US administration’s policy to exit international treaties will be embraced by other countries, Valdai Discussion Club Research Director Fyodor Lukyanov told the first online session of the Primakov Readings forum centered on the post-COVID world.

BELGRADE, May 29. /TASS/: Representatives of the EU and the US have refused to take part in the conference dubbed The World After the Coronavirus, hosted by the Belgrade Strategic Dialogue foundation, Marko Djuric, director of the Serbia’s Office for Kosovo and Metohija, informed TASS on the sidelines of the conference on Friday.

MOSCOW, May 29. /TASS/: Russia’s coronavirus reproduction rate dropped by 0.02 to 0.95 in the past 24 hours, according to a TASS analysis based on data from the national anti-coronavirus crisis center.

Moscow’s coronavirus reproduction rate did not change and remains at 0.83. Russia’s coronavirus reproduction rate has remained at or below 1 for the past 16 days.

ST. PETERSBURG, May 29. /TASS/: The Elektropribor Concern (St. Petersburg) started serial production of Russia’s first all-latitude ship compass, designed primarily for use in the Arctic regions, the company’s press-service said on Thursday.